Over a hundred new products are on the next reimbursement list, which has been in force since November 1. Among them are drugs used in the treatment of hypertension and pain in the course of neoplastic diseases.
According to the Ministry of Health, the new products include, among others Combined drugs containing amlodipine and indapamide, as well as amlodipine and ramipril – reimbursed in the treatment of hypertension in patients whose blood pressure was stabilized with the use of individual active substances contained in the drugs.
Since November, a combined drug containing oxycodone and naloxone has also been reimbursed in the case of pain in the course of neoplastic diseases – in patients with opioid constipation. Reimbursement of this drug is a long-awaited change postulated by the community of oncological patients, who often experience constipation while using opioid analgesics, which cannot be treated with traditional methods, emphasized MZ.
20 products reimbursed so far have not been included in the new list as a result of applications for shortening the validity period of reimbursement decisions or due to the expiry of the validity period of these decisions on November 1, 2014.
According to the new list for 297 products, there was a decrease in the patient’s surcharge – from PLN 149,15 to PLN 1; for 260 products, there was an increase in the patient’s surcharge – from PLN 1 to PLN 20,39; for 457 products, gross retail prices decreased – from PLN 20,56 to PLN 1; gross retail prices increased for 52 products – from PLN 1 to PLN 5,89.
The changes also apply to the list of medications used under drug and chemotherapy programs. As MZ explains, a drug containing afatinib was reimbursed under the drug program: Treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with afatinib.
Moreover, the content of the drug program changed: Treatment of severe plaque psoriasis – a drug containing etanercept was reimbursed as another drug – apart from ustekinumab and adalimumab.
A drug containing sorafenib was added to the drug program: Treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). So far, patients have used this drug as part of non-standard chemotherapy.
The immunoglobulin preparations under the trade name Privigen were also reimbursed as part of the drug program: Treatment of primary immunodeficiency (PID) in adult patients.
Medicines containing tenofovir and other medicines containing active substances: botulinum toxin, cisplatin, bosentan and docetaxel are also reimbursed from November 1.
Pursuant to the Reimbursement Act, the list of reimbursed drugs is updated every two months. (PAP)